Piano Music Learning: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – The Only Thing I Want to Keep Is the Time You Were Here

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, directed by Tim Burton, offers a hauntingly whimsical tale that blends magic, war, and the bittersweet nature of time. Though filled with dark imagery and WWII metaphors, at its heart, it’s a story of kindness, innocence, and a longing that transcends time. For those exploring piano music learning, the soundtrack and story provide a unique emotional and stylistic range worth studying.

Keep is the Time You Were Here | SheetMusicGo

Time

The film’s most emotionally resonant theme is its portrayal of time loops—beautiful, suspended moments untouched by decay. Within this magical space, children remain forever on September 3, 1943. Flowers never wilt, bombs never fall, and the day never ends. While the real world outside continues to change, the children remain frozen in an eternal now. This idea parallels the nature of music, where playing a piece again and again is like living inside a personal loop. At SheetMusicGo, many of these atmospheric themes can be found as free sheet music for learners to explore.

Time | SheetMusicGo

Old Photos

Author Ransom Riggs began the story with a collection of eerie vintage photos—each a frozen moment filled with mystery. In many ways, a photo is like music notation: a preserved memory waiting to come alive again. As Emma and Jake's romance unfolds between 1943 and 2016, it reminds us that even across decades, emotion can remain raw and relevant. That’s what makes famous movie music so lasting—its timeless power.

Old Photos | SheetMusicGo

Music

In the film’s final act, Jake travels through different time loops to find Emma. Their love, caught in the past but reaching into the future, is set against the song “Wish That You Were Here” by Florence and the Machine. The use of harp, whispering strings, and powerful crescendos make this piece an emotional centerpiece. It’s a prime example of how a talented movie music composer enhances narrative with sound. For those pursuing piano music learning, adapting vocal tracks like this to piano offers both technical and expressive growth.

Wish That You Were Here

I've tried to leave it all behind me
But I woke up and there they were beside me
And I don't believe it but I guess it's true
Some feelings, they can travel too
Oh there it is again, sitting on my chest
Makes it hard to catch my breath
I scramble for the light of change
You're always on my mind
You're always on my mind

And I never minded being on my own
Then something broke in me and I wanted to go home
To be where you are
But even closer to you, you seem so very far

And now I'm reaching out with every note I sing
And I hope it gets to you on some pacific wind
Wraps itself around you and whispers in your ear
Tells you that I miss you and I wish that you were here

And if I stay home, I don't know
There'll be so much that I'll have to let go
You're disappearing all the time
But I still see you in the light

For you, the shadows fight
And it's beautiful but there's that tug in the sight
I must stop time traveling, you're always on my mind
You're always on my mind
You're always on my mind

And I never minded being on my own
Then something broke in me and I wanted to go home
To be where you are
But even closer to you, you seem so very far

And now I'm reaching out with every note I sing
And I hope it gets to you on some pacific wind
Wraps itself around you and whispers in your ear
Tells you that I miss you and I wish that you were here

We all need something watching over us
Be it the falcons, the clouds or the crows
And then the sea swept in and left us all speechless
Speechless

And I never minded being on my own
Then something broke in me and I wanted to go home
To be where you are
But even closer to you, you seem so very far

And now I'm reaching out with every note I sing
And I hope it gets to you on some pacific wind
Wraps itself around you and whispers in your ear
Tells you that I miss you and I wish that you were here

Wish that you were here
Wish that you were here
Wish that you were here
I wish that you...

Wish That You Were Here | SheetMusicGo

Conclusion

Rewatching Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is like stepping back into a time loop. The characters never grow older, never change—but we do. We become more aware of how fragile and fleeting moments are. Through Florence’s voice and Burton’s imagery, the message lingers: though we may never physically return to the moments we cherish, through storytelling—and especially through music—we can revisit them.

If you're seeking to relive such moments at the keys, SheetMusicGo offers free sheet music from famous movie music pieces like this, giving pianists the opportunity to channel both love and longing into their playing. Whether your goal is performance or emotion, these pieces will enrich your piano music learning journey.